Seulgi loves the season of Summer  

It's simple. Summer is when the sun shines bright yellowish-white and the clouds float ever so rapidly on the skies like they're chasing each other. Summer is fun. Summer is when you can hang out with your friends and spend the day doing your favorite things with your favorite persons with fewer responsibilities from societal rules and mandatory schooling requirements.

Seulgi loves summer. 

Summer was when she gets chased by Joohyun on the hallways to their apartment. Summer was fun.

This summer though, Joohyun is instead running after her as they make their way to their university grounds-- for the additional summer classes they signed up for. 

"Hey! That's cheating!" Joohyun shouted when Seulgi threw her backpack on Joohyun's front, leaving the slightly smaller girl no choice but to carry two bags at the same time while running.

They're not late for class, it's supposedly a morning jog but Joohyun loves competition. Now, they look like idiots running after each other.

"Tired?"

"Tired?" Joohyun mocked her, eyes rolling like she's about to riot but she might have lost track of her breathing count, she had to sit down and slam her face on the two backpacks that sat at the seat's desk.

Seulgi waited, she wanted to get her water bottle from her bag but Joohyun was holding it. Knowing her-- Joohyun's still not done complaining after she lost the morning jog.

Joohyun wasn't a runner, Seulgi either, but they like running. Especially when they're together. There's more to it, if they both knew they've been running away from each other for years now.

"You jackass! How dare you leave me alone on the road?" Joohyun hits her shoulder after, her slight pants between her words sounded so cute in Seulgi's ears. Like an ant's bite, quick pain that started to itch because I want to kiss her now and apologize. 

But that's not how things work between them. They're bestfriends, simple glances, nods, and smiles can resolve things between them. No need for sentimental moments. 

Seulgi just sat quietly, finally able to catch her breath. Her bag's still on Joohyun's lap and she has no plans to take it back yet. Although, she feels extra thirsty now.

Joohyun started ping Seulgi's backpack. Of course, the owner panicked.

"Hey- There's nothing in there!" Seulgi couldn't take her bag back because Joohyun was holding it, it's not like there's actually something interesting in there.

Anyway, she was not so surprised when Joohyun pulled out the orange tumbler from the bag. 

"Drink. I know you're thirsty."

Seulgi wished she could change their label from bestfriends to girlfriends but it's not that easy. She tends to have a hard time initiating anything romantic when she's with Joohyun.

Once you've fallen in love, there will be those moments when you can't control yourself; where there are sparks stinging around you and the person you fancy about. It's an amazing feeling yet troubling.

Can't look at her in the eye.

Can't utter words correctly.

Can't stop her heart from thumping out loud.

Sometimes, Seulgi wonders why her heart is too weak for this. Why her? Why can't it just be anybody else? All she wanted to do is have a normal life like normal teenagers. Luckily, Joohyun seemed unaware of what was going on in Seulgi's head while they sat together. 

"Good morning!" Sooyoung greeted both of them with a wide smile. Meanwhile, Lisa was walking behind her looking like a corpse. Seulgi and Joohyun both chuckled while waiting for them to join their seats. 

It's the second week of their summer classes. Unlike the regular semesters, these classes are often chill and easy. 

You can just sleep at class like I do and you'll still ace this. As Joohyun said.

"Morning, Sooyoung." Seulgi greets her back, then came Lisa's pouting lips into her gaze. "Good morning, Lisa."

The youngest hasn't said a word since they approached them. Once they're seated, another set of students came into the room. Oh, Seulgi knows them very much.

Seungwan, Yeri, Jennie, and Chaeyoung. The five of them were from another block but the department reduced the number of sections for this summer so here she is. Seulgi is stucked in a classroom where she has to see her bestfriend befriending their other new classmates after a long time of just hanging out with her and Sooyoung and Lisa only. The worst part of it? Joohyun's dating one of their new classmates. 

"What's with the face, Lisa?" Joohyun teases before getting up from her seat. She gave Seulgi a glance and mouthed a silent 'I'll be back' to her. She knew where she was going.

"Oh, where's your girlfriend going?" Sooyoung asks her. An obvious teasing Sooyoung and Lisa won't ever get tired of. It's pretty normal for the three of them to tease each other like this. Or specifically, to tease Seulgi about Joohyun. 

"She's not my girlfriend." Seulgi corrects them, although it's useless. Sooyoung continued to question her anyway.

"Ok. Where is your not girlfriend going?" 

Seulgi turned around slightly and pointed at the backseat of the room using her thumb. Sooyoung and Lisa followed her gaze. Seulgi swears they couldn't be more obvious. She sits back and looked forward out of embarrassment.

"Wow. Already?" Sooyoung watched Seungwan and Joohyun intently. Seulgi sighs at Sooyoung's shameless staring.

"Yeah. She said Seungwan is so hot."

"Aww. Don't worry. You're hot yourself too, in your own ways."

Seungwan and Joohyun only started dating one day ago. From what Seulgi heard from her bestfriend-- whom she's in love with, was that Seungwan texted Joohyun as soon as they got their class schedule for the summer class.

Lisa noted the amount of scoffs Seulgi did while telling her what happened.

"I don't need hotness, Sooyoung." 

"I think Joohyun's experimenting. How can she date someone she only knew for a week?"

"She said she's cute," Lisa said. Seulgi nodded in agreement. Sooyoung was not with them when Joohyun was excitedly telling them stories about Seungwan's cute charms.

I thought I was going deaf from all the cheesy words Seungwan has told Joohyun; that she ends up telling me about. Would've been better if she didn't.

"Hm, she's right. You're cuter than her though, Kang." Sooyoung gave her a light pat on the shoulder. "Kang" is her surname and also her nickname. In their class, only Seulgi and Joohyun get called by their surnames because they mistakenly thought they needed to write their surnames on their nametags back in their first year.

Together, the two of us are called KangBae. Like 'Kangbae are together again', 'Kang and Bae are always together, they're starting to look like each other' and all the other things their classmates can think of to say a commentary about them being bestfriends.

Seulgi and Joohyun have been good close best friends for a while now despite having two other friends in their circle. Sooyoung is that friend who always encouraged her, and helped her resist all the Bae Joohyun temptations. 

"Seungwan's the cutest. She got Joohyun unnie dating her." And of course, Seulgi has that friend who's always savage. Lisa is just being realistic and smart about people. It's one thing she's good at. 

"Shut up, Lala." Sooyoung hits the younger who just talked back to her for the first time since they got here. Lisa is an accelerated student, she's a year younger than them. 

She managed to advance one year from their elementary schooling. 

"Lala? What's this "Lala" now?" Seulgi asks, curious, and hoping to get into the context. Did I miss something here?

"That's what Jennie called her." Oh. Lisa and Jennie?

Seulgi grinned to tease, as it was finally her turn to get back to Lala. "Are you gonna change your name now?"

Meanwhile, Lisa shrugged it off. Still as serious as she was when she entered the room earlier.

"I don't know, maybe? If that's how she'll notice me.."

Snorting at the youngest's statement, Sooyoung stood up from her seat and went to join the girls at the back- particularly Yerim, who has been a close friend to them in the past week. 

"What happened to you?" Seulgi rests her head on her arm, on her desk; asking Lisa although her eyes go past through her friends and straight to Bae Joohyun talking to Seungwan, Sooyoung, Yeri and Jennie at the back.

"How do you do that?" Lisa leaned her cheek on Seulgi's shoulder. Her exhausted sigh made it even more obvious that she's serious about the crushing on Jennie this.

"What?" Seulgi asks back, not one clue about what she's done.

"Smile even when your crush doesn't like you back?" Ah..

"I don't know. I don't care." She responded, giving Lisa a nudge. The younger pulled away from clinging to her and instead picked up her phone from the table.

"Help me get through Jennie's friend list," Lisa says while showing Jennie's profile on her screen.

"No." Seulgi knew she would show her the cute puppy-like expression so she turned to face her other side.

Knowing Lisa, she won't let this go and will continue insisting. 

"Help me flirt Jennie. I wanna be happily falling in love with her. It's my first time! You should help me." 

It's true. It's the first time she heard Lisa crushing on someone but.. still, 

"I can't help you because I'm not happy in love if that's what you're thinking."

"Why?"

Seulgi points at Seungwan's seat, occupied by Joohyun, and Seungwan is leaning on the desk, they seem to be flirting-- they really are.

"What do you want to happen between you and Jennie?" She asks Lisa again, she's willing to help but it's not like she's actually that experienced.

"I want to date her, really." Lisa pouted again.

"Then go to her," Seulgi says. If there was one thing she couldn't do, it would be how scared she always had been when she wants to do something about her feelings for Joohyun. 

Before Lisa could ask again, Sooyoung came back. "What's going on?" 

"Lisa's asking me for advice," Seulgi replied, putting her backpack on Joohyun's seat on her left side so she could sit better on hers. 

"Aww, sad. Seulgi can't help you, Lisa." There. Sooyoung finally backed her up. Lisa let out a soft groan once she realized how hopeless she is. 

Seulgi can't blame her. Out of all the students in their university, Lisa ends up befriending her-- who never confessed her feelings for her bestfriend; Joohyun-- who doesn't need to make an effort to be able to date someone; and Sooyoung-- who isn't interested in dating at all. 

Sooyoung and Seulgi proceeded to talk about other things- mainly the last class session they had for this class they're about to attend in 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, Lisa continued thinking, "Should I ask for her number, then?" 

Sooyoung chuckled, "That's what Seulgi did when she first saw Joohyun, actually." 

"What- really? You asked for her number?"

Seulgi smiled and then nodded upon having flashbacks of her first encounter with Bae Joohyun. "Yeah, it's the worst decision ever."

Lisa sat down as everyone minded their own business, Sooyoung started narrating what-oh-so-unpretty flashback was there when Seulgi first laid eyes on Joohyun.

  6 Years Ago  

Kang Seulgi, with her heavy bags all over her arms, dragged herself up to the second floor of the orange building of their supposed dorms. She's from outside the city and her family is busy with their business back in the province. Her wish is to be able to study in a private place all by herself, her brother's suggestion: send her to a dorm. 

They shouldn't have done that, because that's where Seulgi met Joohyun.

As Seulgi drag her luggage in the dorm hallways, someone suddenly stopped her and grabbed the bag hanging on her shoulder. It was Joohyun, trying to help her.

"I'm Joohyun. They told me you'll be my roommate." The girl-- Joohyun muttered- oh so cool while walking ahead of her.

Bae Joohyun, a girl who's just like her, and is in her first year in high school. 

It's funny though. "Um, you know, I can carry all of it." Seulgi decided to speak up because she could see how much Joohyun is struggling while carrying her heavy bag. 

She couldn't help but chuckle when she saw that Joohyun- the cool girl, has been sweating on her forehead and neck from carrying one (1) bag. 

Joohyun tried, but she's much weaker than Seulgi so it's useless. It's cute.

"What's your name? Maybe we can be friends!" Joohyun exclaimed happily, could be because Seulgi's baggage is off of her now or that she's just really excited to befriend Seulgi.

Seulgi, on the other hand, was in-depth-ly finding the courage to vibe with this pretty girl. Be funny. BE FUNNY.

"I don't want to say." She mumbled, they took a turn towards the room they're about to share for the next three years. Seulgi saw a glimpse of Joohyun's slight pout of disappointment at her rejection.

"Why not..?"

"Because what if we can't be friends?"

"I mean-" Taken aback, Joohyun didn't open the door yet and clutched on her shirt, trying to explain. She's so cute. 

"I'm joking, it's Seulgi. Kang Seulgi."

Joohyun smiled in response while finally opening the door. Seulgi wanted to photograph how pretty she looks when she smiles, even though she looks exhausted from all the walking.

"Seulgi, it is." That's the moment Seulgi thought her name sounded the most beautiful, ever.

It's unsettling for young Seulgi to be alone with a pretty girl in one room, add the fact that it won't last a day. It would be like this for the rest of their high school years. Was it a good decision to leave the province after middle school?

But this is what Seulgi wanted, to be independent... Although sadly, it seems like she would be and can't help but to be dependent on Miss pretty girl. 

Should I ask for her number?

Would it be too much?

I'm hungry.

"You know, I'm not really good at cooking," Joohyun spoke from the kitchen. It's after Seulgi finished unpacking when Joohyun invited her to eat dinner together so here she is, waiting for Joohyun to serve dinner.

Unfortunately, Joohyun seemed like she was just being nice about the invitation and had no plans about what to cook, what to serve, what to give Seulgi for her first day here.

"It's okay. I can just have your number instead." WAIT. Oh no. Seulgi smacked herself after realizing what she said. Number? Really, Seulgi? Can you eat her number, Seulgi?

Joohyun, on the small kitchen aisle of their apartment, stopped fiddling with the cabinets finally-- and turned around to face her with the same cute smile she had earlier.

"Yes, of course! I can give you my number. It'll be easier to contact each other."

Good. Seulgi didn't regret how she took an accidental shot, but it was worth it. No, it isn't.

Being with Joohyun wasn't awkward. Seulgi knew it was just her being her gay self, unable to comprehend things in an instant because she was distracted.

"Should we just buy?" She suggested, only realizing now that it's been 20 minutes of Joohyun going through the cans and vegetables present on their refrigerator. 

Joohyun looked at her, giggling while nodding. It's like I granted my girlfriend a wish.

Girlfriend-- where did that come from? Seulgi can't deny it, she really thought of Joohyun that way.. how can I not? 

In summary of her first day with Joohyun, 

They met.

They joked around.

They talked.

Seulgi asked for her number, this is an embarrassing moment. Joohyun may think it's just the normal stuff but for Seulgi, it's almost like asking her out. 

Seulgi suggested they get their food delivered and Joohyun picked what to buy, Seulgi paid for both of them. I insisted. 

"Goodnight, Seulgi! It's gonna be a great day tomorrow!" Joohyun shouted-whispered from her bed. The lights are off and both of them are settled on their respective beds. What's gonna happen tomorrow?

Do we have a date or whatever? 

No, it's their first day of classes tomorrow and Seulgi has not stopped thinking about Joohyun-- romantically. She's whipped, it's pretty obvious for her at this point but Joohyun remained clueless.

Seulgi tried to sleep, but before she closed her eyes, she glanced at Joohyun's bed spot- thinking, My pretty roommate is sleeping. 

It's gonna be a great day tomorrow. So she closed her eyes, covered herself with her blanket. My girlfriend is sleeping. 

Girlfriend?? Seulgi sat up and brushed her hands over her face, almost like slapping herself. It's just not good, I had it bad. She's down bad.

"Seulgi, are you okay?" Joohyun asks, must have sensed her moving on her bed. Her voice was sleepy and Seulgi felt bad she disturbed her.

"Yes.. Yes, sorry. I'm gonna sleep now. Goodnight, Joohyun."

No worries, Seulgi managed to sleep. She even had a dream, a dream about her being woken up by Joohyun- her girlfriend, not roommate, but girlfriend. 

So there it is, their first encounter. They became roommates since first-year high school. Joohyun is a charming classmate who is just so cool about everything. Except that she makes Seulgi feel warm. 

"Can I ask something?" Lisa interrupted when Seulgi was about to talk again. Sooyoung chuckled beside them, amused at how curious Lisa really is. 

"Yeah?"

"Do you still dream about her?" Lisa asks, staring at Seulgi like she's looking for answers on her face; as if she would get enough courage from the never courageous Kang Seulgi to help her romantic adventure towards Jennie's heart.  

Seulgi only nodded, she takes back her bag from Joohyun's seat as she saw her pretty bestfriend approaching back at them. 

"Countless times, constantly."

Joohyun came, their professor entered the classroom as well. Lisa and Sooyoung had to pull away from them and return to their proper seats. But before that, Lisa leaned close to her ear and whispered, teasingly, 

"There's your girlfriend, Bae Joohyun."

Seulgi does not like summer that much now.